CORDLINE PLANT

Hi Lizzie. I always shudder when I see this question because everyone has their own answer.

Technically the ones from the base are 'offsets'. It is just the cordy trying to reproduce itself. When I first started gardening (about 3 years before Noah sailed) I bought several cordys and after only a couple of years one of them did this, with only one offset. So I asked a specialist (there was no web advice in those days) and he said to simply chop off the offset (preferably with a very sharp knife after digging down to where it was attached) making sure that I took as much root as possible with it. Then plant it up and 'bingo' I would have two cordys for the price of one. So I did. And both mother and child promptly died.

Since then it has happened to me quite a lot of times. I usually take the offsets out as described and usually everything is fine. I get new cordys (which I give away). BUT the danger is that sometimes momma dies, sometimes junior dies, sometimes they both die but that is offsets from the base. Yours are from the top.

You can either prune them off which should still leave you with the same type of cordy or you can do what I would do and that is to just let them grow. The basic cabbage palm is pretty boring. Even when it is huge it is just a stalk with a cabbage on top. But if you get several cabbages on top it can be quite interesting. So either leave them or prune them off. The choice is yours, as is so often the case with plants.

Hi Lizziecane - A multi-headed 'cabbage' would certainly make an interesting plant! If you want to make them into separate plants I would suggest air layering, a process which seems to work quite well with Cordylines but does take a while. If you're not sure about air layering, Google 'air layering cordyline' and you'll find quite a bit of advice, some of it including pictures of how to do it. Good luck!